Are you on this year's fastest growing social network?

Do you pin? If not, you should consider it. Pinterest is one of 2012’s fastest growing social startups—reaching 10 million unique visitors faster than any other independent website.

For those that are unfamiliar with Pinterest, it’s an online bulletin board for your favorite images and videos. It’s a way to organize the things you like and are interested in. In addition to single boards, which can be customized to the user, you can also create group boards where multiple people can collaborate.

Why accounting firms should care

Pinterest is driving more referral traffic to websites than Google+, LinkedIn and YouTube combined.

When users “pin” something to their board, their followers see it and have the opportunity to like it, repin it or comment on it. Like with Facebook or Twitter content, your content can go viral.

More referral traffic to your website=more visibility. More visibility=higher awareness= more opportunity.

Predictions for Pinterest

Communications are becoming increasingly visual. Because of this and Pinterest’s ease of use and Facebook syncing, I anticipate that it will continue to be one of 2012’s hottest social startups and that it will begin to impact many accounting firms in the digital sphere. Here’s how:

1. Content pinning: Today’s content is about more than just words. It includes graphics to visually tell your story. I think we will begin to see those images associated with our content pinned more frequently and help drive more traffic and visibility to the firms creating that content.

2. People pinning: Your people are your product. I believe that people want to associate themselves with people they know, like and trust and will continue to share those digitally, like with Pinterest.

3. Recruiting: I believe that collaborative boards—like a company board—will become increasingly important as a way to visually showcase what your firm is to future talent. Posting pictures of company outings, community service days, values and more will become common place in the near future.

Sarah Johnson is the chief growth strategist with Inovautus Consulting, a firm that works with CPA, law and professional service firms to help them grow more effectively, and author of “Practical Ideas for Growth,” a blog dedicated to growing professional firms. Her counsel and strategies have helped move firms to the next level in their marketing and sales efforts. Connect with Sarah at 773-208-7170, sjohnson@inovautus.com,or www.linkedin.com/in/sjjohnson.